In-Depth Guide On How Whole House Water Filter Works
The city’s supply of the main water line connects to a whole house water filtration system, which filters the water for domestic usage. It’s one of the most effective and energy-efficient household water filtration systems available. In most cases, a whole home water filtration system connects to municipal water. It filters it and distributes it to various water outlets throughout the house. But the different filtration methods may confuse you. Read on to know more! This whole house water filter comparison will help you differentiate its characteristics.
TWO MAIN TYPES OF WHOLE HOUSE WATER FILTER COMPARISON
Backwashing filters and cartridge filters are the two most common types of water filters for residential use. Each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. The best system for you will base on what’s in your water, the contaminant’s concentration, and how quickly you need to treat the water. To sum up, the best type depends on your needs.
Backwashing Filter
A backwashing filter, also known as a media filter, consists of a huge tank containing a loose filtering medium. The system backwashes once a particular volume of water passes through the tank for treatment. This means that water pumps through the tank in the opposite direction, rinsing away most of the impurities. While filter media may not survive indefinitely, you can commonly use it for several years before it requires replacement.
Cartridge Filters
Cartridge filters include one or more replaceable filters. It has a limited lifespan and needs regular replacement. You can pull out water contaminants in the cartridge and replace it with a clean filter when it becomes clogged. It may need replacement every 3 to 12 months, depending on your water quality and what the filter is treating.
FILTRATION METHOD OF WHOLE HOUSE WATER FILTER COMPARISON
Sediment Filtration
Using whole-house sediment filters can remove saturated pollutants, including sand, dirt, silt, scale, and organic debris from the water. You can usually found these materials in well and natural water sources. It can also induce turbidity. As a result, it makes the water hazy and unsanitary. Basic 20″ sediment filters catch suspended water particulates on the surface or within the filter’s material. It uses cylindrical cartridges consisting of paper, polypropylene, thread, and cellulose. For heavy-duty household or commercial sediment removal, it also employs a bigger backwashing mineral tank system.
Most current methods use a natural zeolite blend to cure turbidity via mechanical straining, sedimentation, ion exchange, and physical and electrostatic absorption. Zeolite has an advantage over standard sediment filters that use silt, sand, and anthracite because of its adsorption capabilities. Sediment filters for the whole house will improve the appearance, feel, and taste of your water, They also work well as pre-filters for carbon and UV filtering systems.
Carbon
The most used filtration process is the activated carbon adsorption. In fact, it’s popular in the water industry for both household and commercial general water purification applications. A high-temperature method develops a matrix of millions of small pores and fissures from a range of carbon-based materials. The active surface areas attract and adsorb small organic molecules, whereas the pores trap microscopic particles and big organic molecules.
Chlorine, chloramines, chemicals, gases, and odors are among the eliminated contaminants. These molecules disperse into the carbon matrix. It also absorbs or traps into the internal pore structure, eliminating them from the water through the adsorption process. Many individuals now have whole-house activated carbon systems installed in their houses. It’s to guard against dangerous substances that can be absorbed or inhaled during showering or bathing.
Ion Exchange
This technique is another extensively used whole-house water filtration technology in the home. It uses ion exchange beads to purify, separate, and decontaminate ions in water. It happens during the purification, separation, and decontamination processes. The treated, spherical resin beads have specific solutions. It exchanges positively and negatively charged ions with minerals and metals in water.
Water softeners are a common type of whole-house ion exchange filter. It exchanges calcium and magnesium ions for sodium or potassium ions to eliminate hard water ions. As a result, it effectively removes hard ions from your water throughout your home. It includes scale removal prevention, smoother skin and hair, and fresher, brighter clothes.
UV Sterilization
UV sterilization is a method of water treatment that uses ultraviolet light to kill viruses, bacteria, and germs. It can achieve germicidal irradiation by disrupting and attacking microbial DNA with short-wavelength UV. Moreover, it robs them of their ability to function and reproduce. Microbes in the water exposed to fatal levels of germicidal UV energy from all sides. It may happen as they pass through a 360-degree stainless steel cylinder container containing a UV lamp.
UV sterilization is also the most natural kind of water disinfection. This method successfully removes many bacterial and viral pollutants, including e.coli, coliform bacteria, giardia, cryptosporidium, cysts, and many more. Unlike chlorination, it does not add any chemicals, aromas, or taste to the water. A whole-house UV filter will successfully eliminate hazardous pathogens from your tap and well water, ensuring that every faucet in your home has microbially safe water.
Oxidation Redox
Oxidation-reduction is a water purification technology that uses electrochemical oxidation, reduction, and adsorption mechanisms. The process removes pollutants from water. Any chemical reaction alters the oxidation states of atoms. It happens through the transfer of electrons classified as redox. Iron water filters are an example of a redox water purification technology that uses oxidation to remove iron and manganese.
Additionally, manganese dioxide serves as an oxidant, removing electrons from the water and precipitating iron, hydrogen sulfide, and manganese. It makes it easier to filter them out downstream with a sediment filter.
Whole House Water Filter Comparison: WHAT DO I NEED IF I WANT A COMPLETE SOLUTION?
You may need multiple systems if you desire a more comprehensive water filtration solution for your home. Installing both a whole home filter and a water softener to treat pollutants and hardness in the water is a common setup. If there is iron in the water, a mix of manganese dioxide, carbon, and sediment filter may be necessary. You can treat microbial pollutants in a well or tap water using different UV light filtration systems.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Whole House Water Filter Comparison
The fact that water quality varies widely from home to home and no single system can treat all water contaminants explains why there are so many distinct types of whole house water filters. We hoped that our whole house water filter comparison helped you know more about the types of this water filtration.
Finally, Awesome Water Filters offers different whole house water filters for your homes in Australia. Contact us today to know what your options are.